William thomas



(No Model.)

W. THOMAS.

PNEUMATIC) ANNUNOIATOR.

N0- 324,500. Patented Aug. 18, 1885.

WITNESSES: W owl/2,5231%;

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N. PETERS. PhokrLilhugra'phnr, Washingion. D. c.

-as speaking-tubes. -Bells have been ap- UNiTED STATEs PATENT Orrrca\VILLlAM THOMAS, OF JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY.

PNEUMATIC ANNUNCIATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 324,500, dated August18, 1885.

Application filed June 19, 1884. (No model.)

To (ZZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM THOMAS, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of Jersey City, Hudson county, New Jersey, have inventedcertain Improvements in Pneumatic A nnunciators, of which the followingis a specification.

My invention relates to that struck by the action of a current of airthrough atube 011 ahinged valve; and it is designed in the, main to beapplied to what are known plied to-these; but they usually have awhistle.

The best bell' speaking-tube annunciators heretofore made have consistedof a chamber near the mouthpiece, a pivoted valve swinging in saidchamber, and a hammer exterior to the casing mounted on an arm radiatingfrom the pivot of the va1ve,and striking the bell when the valve isdeflected by a puff of air within the tube.

My improvements relate, in the main, to the mounting of the bell-hammerdirectly on the hinged valve, to the arrangement of the rim of the bellclose to the casingwof the mouth-piece, and to constructing the hammerwith a slender striking point or tip, which passes through acorrespondingly small hole in the casing in order to reach the bell.This construction avoids undue leakage of air at this hole.

It also relates to the construction of the easing of a rectangular form,whereby the valve may be soldered to the wire forming its hingeaxisprevious to insertion, which latter is effected by springing the sidesof the casing and then securing the ends and top of the casingafterward. The valve is also provided with a spring to retract thehammer after the bell is struck, so as to insure a clear tone, and witha spring on its rear or under side to form a stop for the valve andpermit it to be turned down out of the way in speaking.

Another feature of the invention relates to the construction of theindicator, which will be fully set forth hereinafter.

In the drawings which serve to illustrate vmy invention, Figure l is avertical longitudinal section taken on line 1 l in Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is afront view. Fig. 3 is a plan, with the gong removed.

class of pneumatlc annunciators wherein a gongor bell is A representswhat I term the casing, which I make of thin metal, rectangular in form,the sides and bottom being in one piece and the top and ends in onepiece, these being soldered together in the process of construction.

B is the ordinary flaring mouth-piece proper, which may be of thinmetal, as shown, or of porcelain or other material. This is secured tothe front of the casing in the usual way.

Cisa tube secured to the rear of the casing, and which may connect withthe ordinary speaking-tube, which has a mouth-piece on the other end, asusual in such annunciators.

D is a valve, which is hinged at its lower edge or portion on an axis,a, that has bear ings in the sides of the casing. This valve standsnormally at about the angle shown in Fig. 1, being supported on aspring,I), attached to the said valve, its free end bearing on the bottom ofthe casing. This spring allows the valve to be turned down nearlyhorizontal, when required, by means of the crank 0 (see Fig. 3) on theprojecting end of axis a.

on the face of the valve D is mounted a hammer, E, provided withapointed or slender tip, d, which, when the valveis thrown forward by acurrent of airas a blast of the breaththrough the speaking-tube, passesthrough a small aperture, 6, in a bulb, f, formed on the front of thecasing, and strikes sharply a gong or bell, F, mounted on the top ofthecasing. A light spring, 9, preferably mounted on the valve, impingesagainst the front of the easing when the valve is thrown forward, andthe elastic reaction of this spring throws the valve back and preventsthe hammer from remaining in contact with the bell. The object inbringing the rim of the bell up close to the aperture 6 is to prevent,as far as may be, the escape or waste of air thereat while blowing inthe mouth-piece B in order to sound the annunciator at the opposite endof the tube. The valve plays snugly between the walls of the casing, andthe top of the casing is so shaped that the upper end of the valve mayplay close to it in its movement. As the casing is angular in plan, andthe gong employed circular, I employ the bulbous projection f,

in order to bring the hole e close to the gong. G is the indicator toenable one to tell which of several annunciators has been sounded.Instead of placing this indicator outside of the casing, as heretofore,I arrange it inside, so

that when the bell is rung it appears in the mouth-piece. This may behinged on an axis soldered to the valve, as shown, or on an independentaxis. When the valve is thrown forward and flies back, this indicator isthrown forward and remains standing, as shown,until pushed or blown backso as to rest on the valve in its normal position. The upright positionof the indicator is assured by so arranging its axis with reference tothe angle of the casing it rests against that it will lean forwardbeyond the perpendicular, as shown in Fig. 1. In order that theindicator may not fall back by the rebound when the valve D falls, Iusually provide the valve with a hole, 71, behind the indicator, throughwhich part of the jet or current of air will pass and act upon the backof the indicator and keep it up to its place.

Any kind of gong orbell may be employed, but for compactness I preferthat shown. My construction allows of great compactness, and itssimplicity permits of considerable economy in the manufacture overannunciators of this kind as ordinarily constructed.

The spring I) might be mounted on the easing instead of on the valve,but I prefer to mount it on the valve.

The top of the casing might be curved to conform to the swing of thevalve, but for convenience in mounting the gong I prefer the form shown.This also allows the superfluous air, when a strong blow is given, topass over the valve, thus ringing the bell more uniformly.

A knob may be substituted for the crank c.

Having thus described my invention, I claim 1. A pneumatic annunciatorcomprising a casing, a gong or bell mounted on the same, an aperture inthe casing adjacent to said bell, a pivoted valve arranged within thecasing, and a hammer mounted on the free end of said valve and adapted,when the valve is thrown forward, to strike the bell through saidaperture, combined and operating substantially as set forth.

A pneumatic annunciator comprising a casing, a gong or bell mountedthereon, an aperture in the casing adjacent to said bell, a

pivoted valve arranged within the casing, a hammer mounted on the freeend of said valve and adapted to strike the bell through said aperture,and a spring, 9, adapted to throw back the valve and hammer after thebell is struck, all combined and arranged to operate substantially asset forth.

3. In a pneumatic annunciator, the combination, with the casing providedwith a small aperture, 6, for the hammer to strike through, of the gongor bell F, mounted on the casing with its rim in close proximity to theaperture 6, and the valve D, hinged in the casing and provided with thepointed hammer E, all arranged to operate substantially as set forth.

4:. In an annunciator, the combination of the casing provided with amouth piece proper, the valve E, hinged within the casing, and theindicator hinged within the casing and adapted to come in contact withthe valve 1) and to be thrown forward by the forward movement thereof,whereby said indicator is caused to show itself in the mouth-piece,substantially as set forth.

5. In a pneumatic annunciator, the combination, with the casing, of thevalve hinged at its lower edge to said casing and arranged within thesame, the spring b, arranged to support the valve in its normal inclinedposition, the crank c on the axis of the valve for depressing thelatter, the hammer, and the gong, all arranged to operate substantiallyas set forth.

6. In a pneumatic annunciator, the combination, with the casing providedwith an aperture for the bell-hammer to strike through, of the bellmounted on the casing, the valve hinged in the casing and at its loweredge,

the hammer mounted on the free end of said valve, an indicator, G,hinged at its lower edge inside the casing and adapted, as shown anddescribed, to be thrown forward by the forward movement of the valve,and an airhole, h, in the valve, substantially as set forth.

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

VVILLIAH THOMAS.

\Vitnesses:

HENRY CONNETT, ARTHUR O. FRASER.

